New Delhi, July 13 -- LOS ANGELES - Cristina Sanz, who spent four seasons on A&E's reality series "Born This Way" building a following among viewers who had rarely seen a life like hers reflected on television, died Monday at 36 after suffering sudden cardiac arrest at her day program. Her parents announced her death on Wednesday through her Instagram account.

"Her death was a total shock and unexpected," Mariano and Beatriz Sanz said in a statement posted to her account. "We will forever treasure the gift of her life."

Sanz was one of the original cast members of "Born This Way," the Emmy-winning documentary series that followed a group of young adults with Down syndrome through the milestones of independent life. The show ran from 201...